Makeshift Chemistry
by Unfable
Summary: A collection of shorts/one-shots about Daryl and the many characters we ship him with.
1. Intro

**INTRO **

Here you will find a collection of shorts/one shots that all include Daryl and other characters from The Walking Dead. Some stories may have more than one chapter and some may only be a few hundred words. It all depends on the idea at hand and how much I want to get invested in it. The only reason I started this was because I constantly find myself getting small ideas while working on bigger stories and can't always find room to shove them into the one I'm currently writing. This allows me the creative freedom to not let those ideas go to waste!

Each chapter will be labeled to inform you which characters are involved in the story. If the pairing isn't something you're interested in please skip to the next one until you find something you'd enjoy reading. I ship Daryl with a lot of different characters and there's a good chance you'll come across something you like.

A short summary or plot will also be given so you aren't thrown into a random story without any idea as to whats going on.

I don't have a set schedule for updates. It all depends on how often I get ideas and how much time I have to sit down and write them out. With that being said I hope you enjoy and feel free to post a review and let me know which ones you like or don't like! I may even take requests if I run out of ideas.

**RATED M FOR VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE AND SMUT. **

**(Some stuff may even be very dark, including abuse and sexual abuse. Those will have trigger warnings for anyone sensitive to that kind of writing.)**

Not every story will include all of the above, but I'm giving it an overall rating of M.


	2. Evidence

**Title:** Evidence

**Pairing:** Daryl/Carol

**Plot:** Takes place at the prison, set around season 4. Carol and Daryl have admitted their feelings for one another and have been in an open relationship for several months. The only problem is Carol can't seem to get Daryl to go further than 'making out' and it's starting to frustrate her. After biting her tongue for so long, Carol finally manages to get Daryl to tell her why he keeps pushing her away.

**(WARNING)** This story contains mentions of violence, child abuse and sexual abuse.

* * *

Carol sighed heavily when Daryl pulled away from her for what seemed like the hundredth time and moved to sit on the edge of her bunk. This wasn't the first time she'd have to go to bed sexually frustrated after being with him and it was starting to become irritating. She loved the man to death and wanted to be with him in every way possible, but she couldn't figure out how to get them passed this point in their relationship they seemed destined to constantly repeat.

"What is it?" Carol finally asked when he continued to stare at his feet.

Daryl lifted his head, acting as if he'd almost forgotten she was still laying there. "What is what?"

Grabbing the bars on the bunk above her, she lifted herself to sit with her back against the wall. "Is there something wrong with me?"

"No...what?" He asked again, his brows furrowing in confusion as he moved to face her, placing a hand on her thigh.

"Well I must have done something...I mean, if you expected something better from all this just tell me..." Carol tried to keep her voice steady, not wanting him to know how much it would crush her if that was the reason he kept pushing her away.

A frown quickly spread across his face. "Ya ain't done anythin'...I...I don't understand..."

Carol groaned, failing to hold back her frustration. "Daryl you're driving me crazy!" Her hands smacked the mattress underneath them, her fists balling into the sheet.

Daryl flinched at her outburst and quickly stood, looking between her and the exit. Carol wasn't about to play that game.

"You better not walk away from me." Carol growled and pushed herself to stand, taking a step closer to ensure he wouldn't bolt the moment she called him out on his torture. "Do you enjoy this? Watching me suffer? Teasing me to the point where I need to beg you to make love to me?"

Daryl swallowed hard, the wall behind him suddenly hitting the back of his boots. He hadn't realized she was backing him into a corner with no escape until it was too late. "No." He choked out, not even recognizing his own voice at how weak it sounded.

"Then what's the problem?" She whispered. "I know you want this as much as I do." Taking a chance she reached out to palm the obvious erection still strained against his jeans to prove her point. It was the first time she had been brave enough to feel him with her hand.

Daryl tensed, his lips parting to suck in a deep breath as he grabbed her wrist. Attempting to stop her since he couldn't possibly move back any further.

"Daryl it's me. I'm not gonna hurt you if that's what you're afraid of. I love you." Carol pulled her hand from his hold when she felt him start shaking and instantly felt bad for being so straight forward. She had no idea he'd react that way. "We're in this together, talk to me...please."

Daryl shut his eyes and let his head drop against the wall. "M'sorry." He sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. "I ain't never...I...Fuck..." Embarrassed, he snapped his mouth shut and stopped talking.

Carol looked at him dumbfounded for a moment while she registered exactly what he was trying to tell her. There was no way Daryl Dixon hadn't been with a woman. It didn't seem possible. Carol knew the other women around the prison were attracted to him, she heard their comments and saw the way they stared when he walked by, so to think he didn't receive the same attention before the world went to shit seemed unlikely. "You've never had sex?"

The pain in his features when he shook his head made Carol frown and she reached out to touch his cheek lovingly. "Hey, look at me." She insisted.

Daryl opened his eyes hesitantly, afraid to see her reaction.

Carol leaned forward to press her soft lips against his in a sweet kiss. "Is it because you never found the right person or is there another reason?"

Daryl looked away from her and brought his thumb up between his teeth, chewing at the skin around his nail. "Ya already know my Daddy was a mean sum' bitch, right?"

Carol crinkled her forehead in confusion, but gave him a nod, already not liking where this was heading.

He surprised her when he took her hand and moved them to sit, lacing their fingers together. There was no way he could tell her what he was about to without having some sort of comfort from someone he trusted. After running a hand through his hair he found a place off in the distance to stare at before he was finally ready to tell her something he'd never told anyone. "He always said I was weak...that I cried too much ta be a Dixon..."

Carol dropped her eyes to her lap when he started talking. Staring would only make him uncomfortable, so she placed a hand on his leg and squeezed gently to let him know she was there if he needed her.

"Kind of hard ta be tough when ya got beat just for lookin' at the bastard the wrong way..." He shifted to lean against the wall and bent his leg she wasn't touching, resting an arm on his knee. "Was constantly called a pussy for tryin ta run, for not taken his beatin's like a man. Told me a girl wouldn't cry as much as I did..."

Carol kissed his shoulder and tried to offer him a reassuring smile when he turned to look at her. It didn't last long though and he quickly flicked his eyes back to the place he picked out on the wall in front of them that apparently made it easier for him to get this out in the open.

"One night he was drunk...found one of his dirty magazines Merle had stolen from his stash in the bathroom. I was sittin' in front of the TV eatin' a bowl of cereal when he smacked me upside the head. Didn't know what was goin' on or what I had done ta piss him off... but next thing I knew he was jerkin' me up by my arm, bitchin' about messin' with his stuff and dragin' me in ta the kitchen." Daryl remembered the moment when his father tossed him to the floor and he cowered in the corner against the refrigerator as his Dad started unbuckling his belt. The sound of it snapping out of the loops made the hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention and even as an adult the sound still made his skin crawl.

_"Get over here." Will Dixon growled at his son who was still sitting on the floor and holding the side of his head where he'd been smacked._

_Seven year old Daryl avoided his father's eyes and risked a glance at the back door, silently hoping Merle would come through it any minute to save him. With his lower lip already quivering, Daryl pushed himself to stand on his shaky legs and took a step in his fathers direction when he knew no one was coming to his rescue._

_Will reached out to grab a hold of Daryl's hair, forcing him to look up as he jerked him closer. His belt tightly gripped in his other hand. "Already told ya 'bout messin' with what ain't yers. When ya gonna learn?"_

_When Daryl saw his father's hand raise he lifted his own in an attempt to protect himself from the blow, but he was slow and the belt hit his side, breaking the skin even through his shirt. He whimpered softly and bit his lip to keep from crying out when he got hit again, knowing he'd only get it worse if he made a sound._

_Will let his son's hair go and dropped the magazine onto the table. "Why'd ya take it?"_

_Daryl opened his watery blue eyes, seeing the magazine for the first time. He was too young to know about naked women or how sex even worked, let alone what a magazine filled with both was doing abandoned in the bathroom. His father had more than likely forgotten it in there himself or Merle had stolen it while Will was passed out the day before. Either way Daryl would be the one to suffer for it being misplaced because trying to explain to his drunken abusive father that he was innocent would go unheard._

_Will snapped the belt against his own leg to gather Daryl's attention when he remained silent, the sound making him flinch. "That there's for a man." He pointed at the magazine, his voice full of anger. "Somethin' ya ain't never gonna be. Fuckin' little sissy, should of been born a damn girl." Will opened the refrigerator to grab a beer. "Take ya pants off." He demanded, popping the top on the can to take a sip of the bitter liquid while he leaned against the counter._

_With a trembling hand, Daryl tugged on the elastic waist of his dinosaur pajamas to slide them down his legs, unable to control the sudden tears that ran over his cheeks. He quickly tried to wipe them away. Not wanting to give his father another reason to hit him._

_It was no use though. Will had seen him crying and was already wrapping the belt tighter around his fist as he crossed the small distance between them to grab Daryl's hair again. He whipped the leather against the back of his son's bare legs and threw him to the floor when he started sobbing._

_Before Daryl had a chance to react to the fall, his father was ripping his underwear from his small body and flipping him over so he was laying on his back. The belt forgotten at the moment, tossed to the side with his clothes._

"Please tell me he didn't..." Carol couldn't finish her sentence as she struggled to swallow down the lump in her throat. Part of her wanted to know what had happened, but the other part was scared to know something that apparently haunted him for a good portion of his life.

Daryl squeezed her hand and shook his head. "My daddy was a sick fuck, but he weren't no homo."

Carol released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and gave him a nod.

"After all the beatin's...and what he did that night...I couldn't be touched anymore, not even in a good way without feelin' sick ta my stomach, without flinchin'...Merle didn't help none either...teasing me about the size of my junk as we grew up, sayin' I'd get laughed at if I tried ta be with a woman...so I never wanted ta be..." Daryl lifted their conjoined hands to kiss the back of her knuckles, his cheeks going red. "Ya the first person I've trusted since then, the only one I've wanted ta let get close...and I'm afraid I'll disappoint ya since I dunno what ta do...or scare ya away when ya see..."

"Hey..." Carol interrupted, shifting from beside him to straddle his waist. She brushed her fingers over his stubbly cheek and waited for him to make eye contact before continuing. "First off, your brother was an asshole. You have nothing at all to worry about when it comes to size...trust me." It wasn't like she had seen him up close and personal in the nude, but the undeniable hardness pressed against her at the moment proved he definitely wasn't lacking in that department. "And you don't have to worry about messing anything up. Just keep doing what you've been doing and I'll help you along the way."

"What abou-" Daryl had to swallow his words when Carol was more interested in kissing him over talking and it was a good momentary distraction, because he hadn't even realized she had started unbuttoning his shirt and had it almost falling from his shoulders by the time he opened his eyes and let her lips fall from his.

He took a second to watch as she scanned his eyes with her bright blue ones and then slowly slid her hands down his bare chest. He sucked in a breath and the muscles in his stomach tightened as her fingers made their way lower, exploring his well defined abs and the thin trail of hair that disappeared into the front of his pants.

"Carol..." He breathed, trying to get his head clear enough to comprehend what was happening. Their conversation should of prepared him for what was to come, but he didn't expect things to go in this direction so soon after admitting to her his fears. It was starting to become a bit overwhelming for the shy hunter and she'd hardly even touched him.

Picking up on his discomfort Carol leaned forward to kiss up his neck, sucking lightly just below his ear. "It's alright." She whispered. "Just calm down and remember its me, I'm not going to hurt you."

When his breathing returned to normal she decided to put herself in a more vulnerable position to get him to loosen up. She pulled away from his neck and sat up straight, still straddling his waist and reached down for the hem of her shirt to lift it over her head. She heard him gasp softly and when she saw his face again his eyes were glued to her breasts. She gave up on wearing bras some time ago when all the ones she owned slowly started to fall apart and trying to find a new one was the least of her worries.

Daryl startled her when he took the upper hand and moved to kiss at her collar bone. He left sloppy, open mouth kisses down the front of her chest and in between her breasts before taking one in his hand where he experimentally twisted a nipple between his thumb and finger, causing Carol to moan and arch her body forward.

Happy with her reaction he kissed lower and claimed her other nipple in his mouth where he sucked gently. He nipped at the tight bud and the corners of his mouth started to curl into a smile at the sounds she was making. Apparently everything he was doing was something she liked because she grabbed a hold of his hair and pushed him harder against her chest while rocking her hips against his, a growl escaping his lips at the friction she created.

"That feels amazing." She moaned, her eyes falling shut. It had been a long time since she'd been touched this way by a man and her whole body felt alive. Even when she was with Ed he hadn't bothered to do things that would bring her pleasure, so if Daryl honestly had no idea what he was doing she never would of known the difference.

After Daryl finished teasing her nipple with a swirl of his tongue, Carol fist his hair and pulled him away from her chest to make him look at her. She gave him a shy smile and a quick kiss before letting him go to push his shirt the rest of the way from his body. He shook his shoulders and tossed the shirt across the small cell, quickly flicking his eyes to her hand when she tugged at his belt buckle.

Carol stilled her fingers and placed her free hand on his cheek, bringing his eyes back to hers. When she had him focused on her face and not what she was doing with her hands, she continued to undo his belt and popped the button on his jeans.

Daryl tried to stay focused on her beautiful face, her red and slightly swollen lips, but couldn't stop his nerves when she pulled his zipper down. He instantly tensed and went to grab her hand, but Carol had anticipated his reaction and was quick to knock his hand away. She reached up to push on his shoulder so he would lay down with his back against the sheets while she shifted her hips to gain better access to open his pants.

"Carol wait." He pleaded, but she was too fast and was already pulling him free from his boxers. His hands instantly went to cover his face when he felt the cool air of the prison brush over his hardened member.

When he covered his face Carol just assumed he was embarrassed at being naked in front of her, but as she began to slide her hand up and down over the smooth skin of his erection she noticed an old scar at the base of his shaft. It went almost all the way around and trailed up his length in a jagged line to the underside of the tip. She quickly loosened her hold on him and moved her hand to rest at his hip.

"I'm sorry...I..." She stammered. "Did I hurt you?" When she asked the question out loud she closed her eyes and sighed at how stupid she sounded. However in her defense she had no idea if he was extra sensitive in that area because of the trauma he endured there or if over exertion caused him pain.

Without moving his hands, Daryl swallowed hard and shook his head.

Carol idly rubbed his hip and smiled even though he couldn't see her. "Daryl?"

Spreading his fingers he looked through the cracks and made a sound in response.

Carol couldn't help but giggle and leaned forward to kiss the back of his hand. "Stop hiding from me."

With a sigh Daryl dropped his hands to where his fingers were touching her knees. "S'alright if yer disgusted...I understand." He said pathetically, making her frown.

"Daryl I'm not disgusted, I just didn't want to hurt you...whatever...whatever happened..." She paused a minute to put together exactly what she wanted to say and cupped his cheek. "I'm so sorry he did this to you, but it doesn't make me want you any less. I still love everything about you."

Daryl blinked and slowly slid his hands up her thighs to grip her hips.

"And as long as everything works the way it's suppose to, I don't see a problem here." Carol let her fingertips glide over the underside of his erection, hoping to keep him interested.

Daryl's legs shook at the light touch and without thinking wrapped his hand around hers that was teasing him to seek more contact. "It's fine...s'not the prettiest thin' ta look at, but it does what it's suppose ta I reckon."

Carol squeezed him when he trapped her hand and kissed him hard to let him know how badly she needed this. He eagerly grabbed a hold of her short hair and kissed her back, thrusting his tongue into her mouth to slide against hers in motion that had them both moaning.

While keeping their mouths conjoined, Carol lifted her hips to rid herself of her remaining clothes. Once they hit the floor she returned to straddling him and only fell from his lips to kiss across his jaw and down his throat. Her hand snaked between them to grab his throbbing cock and guided him toward her dripping entrance.

Carol felt his slight resistance and before he had a chance to change his mind she slowly lowered herself onto him, letting him sink deep inside her heat with the roll of her hips. His whole body shuddered at the new sensation and he wrapped his arms around her waist, sitting up more to drop his head to her shoulder as she started moving up and down his length.

"Christ" He groaned, trying to calm himself enough to think about what he should be doing to make her feel as good as she was making him feel. It was impossible though. The way she rocked her body and gracefully shifted her hips against him like a well tuned engine had him a quivering mess in a matter of minutes.

"Oh, fuck Carol...ya gonna have ta stop...I can't..." Daryl bit his lip, his abs tightening. "Shit...I'm gonna cum." As soon as the words left his mouth he jerked his hips uncontrollably and shot his warm liquid deep inside her as a loud growl rumbled in his chest.

Carol gasped when his nails dug into her lower back, the slight pain causing a thrill to run down her spine and even though she wasn't close to her own release, she continued to move on him until he buried his face in the crook of her neck and stopped shaking.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered, pressing his lips against her neck.

Carol furrowed her brows and stroked his hair. "For what?"

He pulled her tighter against his chest trying to avoid having to face her. "That wasn't even good for ya..." He said painfully.

Carol kissed the side of his head and smiled. "What gave you that idea?"

Daryl grumbled, clearly embarrassed at his performance. "I came in like two seconds...ya didn't even get off."

"We can always do it again when you're ready." She said with a sweet smile that he hadn't missed this time because she somehow managed to get him to look at her.

Suddenly his eyes went wide. "We didn't use a condom neither."

"Daryl, calm down." Carol said gently. "You're thinking too much, just relax and enjoy the moment."

"But Carol-"

"Stop." She insisted, giving him a quick kiss. "I had my tubes tied after I had Sophia, so we don't have to worry about a little Dixon running around here raising hell." That caused him to chuckle quietly.

With a slight shift of her hips, she let him slide out of her and reached for the towel hanging at the foot of the bed she'd placed there after her shower that evening.

Daryl rolled closer to the wall to give her room when she moved and watched as she cleaned herself off. When she was finished she handed him the towel to do the same and went to slip on a clean pair of panties and a shirt to sleep in. She was about to ask if he was going to stay, but snapped her mouth shut and grinned when he was already laying there in his boxers with the sheet drawn to the side waiting for her to join him.

The cell sank into darkness when she blew out the lone candle that had been keeping the small room lit and slowly took a few steps forward in the direction of the bunk, careful to not bump her shins on anything that might be in the way.

"Here." Daryl's deep voice rang out, his big hand wrapping around her wrist to pull her down into the bed with him. He brought the sheet up and draped it over her shoulder, his chest pressing firmly against her back as he settled them into a comfortable sleeping position with his hand rested on her flat stomach and his face buried in her hair. "Thank ya." He said with a yawn.

Carol reached down to grab his hand that was on her stomach and brought it to her lips, kissing his knuckles. "Are you thanking me for sex?" She asked with a giggle, only teasing him.

"No...thankin' ya for everythin'...for bein' patient with me...for showin' me I can be close ta someone and not get hurt." He paused, clearing his throat. "I know I ain't the best at this stuff, but ya always been kind ta me and never looked down on me like everyone else...I guess...I guess I'm just glad ya here cus I dunno where I'd be if ya weren't."

Carol felt her chest ache and she closed her eyes briefly to push back the tears she could feel threatening to fall. "Just don't forget who you belong to Pookie." She probably could of thought of a much more heart felt response, but she had to keep things light to keep from crying in front of him. She knew he hated it.

Daryl chuckled and pressed his lips against her shoulder. "Never."

"I love you." She said, turning her head to kiss his cheek.

"Love ya too woman."


	3. Breaking Point

**Title:** Breaking Point

**Pairing:** Daryl/Carol

**Plot:** This is an AU story, no zombies. Daryl and Carol have been married almost 20 years. They have a sixteen year old son who has been causing the happy couple a lot of problems lately and Daryl is finally putting his foot down.

* * *

Daryl cursed as he fumbled to get his key to line up with the key hole on the door knob to his home, his irritation starting to get the best of him. He knew his wife and sixteen year old son were home and couldn't understand how both of them seemed to lack the common sense to leave the porch light on. He'd been working the same schedule for the past three years, came home around the same time each night and told them more than once he couldn't see a damn thing out there in the dark, to leave the light on, but no, they apparently enjoyed watching him suffer.

After several minutes of struggling he finally managed to get the door unlocked and tossed his keys onto the little table by the stairs with a frustrated growl as he stepped inside. Carol was usually in the kitchen by now, preparing dinner and greeting him with a kiss, but he could tell from the yelling down the hall that dinner would be late this evening.

It seemed almost every other day Carol and their son Ryan were fighting about something. Whether it was plans for college or the idea of him joining Daryl at his bike shop for a full time job, Ryan never failed to get defensive and slam a door in Carol's face, leaving her standing there with unfinished words that would resurface in a day or two.

Daryl was honestly sick of it. One of the major problems was Merle had recently introduced Ryan to smoking weed and from then on out it consumed a great portion of the teenagers time. Turning the bright young man into someone who just wanted to sit around all day and fry his brain instead of doing something to better himself.

Carol was oblivious to the fact their son was getting high with his uncle and Daryl planned to keep it that way, not wanting to add anymore stress to the poor woman. Daryl had let Merle know what a dumb piece of shit he was, with a fist to his jaw the next day at work after finding out, so as far as he was concerned that was taken care of. Dealing with Ryan on the other hand was a little different. He himself had been sixteen at one point and knew no matter what he said, his son would still find a way to do whatever the hell he wanted. Daryl could really only offer his disapproval and that usually didn't change a damn thing.

The worst however, was the way his son spoke to his mother. Daryl had always treated Carol with kindness and patients, basically worshiping the ground she walked upon and she sure as hell didn't deserve to have her son treating her with any amount of disrespect. Carol would take it though. She would let Ryan get his way with almost anything, no matter how terrible he spoke to her and Daryl couldn't take it anymore. Sometimes he just wanted to strangle the woman and tell her to be a bitch, that their son was headed down the wrong path and she needed to put her foot down, but Ryan was just as hard headed as his uncle Merle when it came to listening to reason and Carol was too damn nice to let the teenager know how she truly felt, leaving Daryl to be the bad guy in the end.

Sighing, Daryl went into the living room to sit down and unlace his boots as he continued to listen to his wife and son bicker. Waiting for the moment when Carol would give up and come find him to finish where she left off. It never came though. Instead a loud crash echoed throughout the house, following a soft whimper that sent Daryl to his feet in an instant.

He quickly made his way down the hall just in time to see Carol pushing herself off the floor where she was trying to avoid the broken glass surrounding her. The bedside table had been knocked over, which Daryl assumed his wife had fallen into and the glass everywhere were the remains of the lamp that once rested there. Ryan was trying to grab Carol's arm when Daryl finally reached him, trying to pull something from her hand, but Daryl was quick to fist the front of his son's shirt and tackle him to the floor before he had a chance to touch his mother again.

"Daryl..." Carol gasped, a plea for him to not harm their son.

Daryl heard her and for the first time in his life he almost slipped and beat the shit out of Ryan. He had never hit his wife or his son, hating the thought of anyone hurting a woman and their own kid after the shitty childhood he experienced, but right then he was having a hard time controlling his anger. It took several minutes of staring into the teenager's eyes and the sound of Carol's voice to calm him enough to jerk Ryan to his feet and shove him away.

"Get out!" Daryl barked at Ryan through clenched teeth.

"Why don't you tell her to get out?! She's always in here bitching about everything and going through my shit!" Ryan argued, straightening out the front of his shirt as he tried to compose himself after being slammed to the floor.

"Don't care." Daryl said, taking a step closer to his son. "Get the fuck outta my house!"

"Daryl, he has nowhere to go." Carol said softy from where she remained standing by the bed.

"Not my problem." Daryl replied, his voice lowering an octave when speaking to his wife. "Ain't puttin' up with this shit no more." He turned back to Ryan then. "Move ya ass!" He yelled, tossing a backpack in his direction. "Get whatever ya need and go!"

Ryan caught the pack and stared at his father. "You expect me to live in my car?"

"Go stay with yer dumb ass uncle for all I care." Daryl said, walking over to Ryan's dresser to start handing him clothes since he still hadn't made any effort to move.

Ryan sighed and picked up his keys. "This is all you're fault just so you know." He said, pointing at his mother. "Can't ever keep your nose out of my business!"

Daryl pushed away from the dresser when Ryan moved closer to Carol and grabbed his upper arm. "Ya take another step toward her and I won't hesitate ta beat ya ass." Daryl threatened his son before turning to look at his wife. "Go wait for me in the bathroom and be careful ya don't cut ya feet."

Carol gave him a nervous nod and carefully stepped over the glass to exit the room.

Once she was out of sight Daryl turned back to the teenager. "I can't fuckin' believe ya, boy."

"Shes the one that started it!" Ryan protested, reaching up to grab his father's wrist to make him let go of his bicep. The action only angered Daryl further and he shoved Ryan against the wall with his forearm pressed into his chest.

"In all the time I've known yer mother I ain't ever raised my hand at her and I sure as hell ain't given ya another chance ta break her heart. She don't deserve this shit! That woman loves ya stupid ass more than anythin' in this world, shes given ya everythn' you've ever asked for and this is how ya repay her?!" Daryl growled and grabbed his son's shirt, leading him out of the room and toward the front door.

"Get off of me!" Ryan yelled as he jerked from his father's grasp. "I know how to fucking walk!"

Daryl let him go and opened the front door. "Good, then walk ya ass on outta here." He spat, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from losing his temper as he watched his son step out into the night, slamming the door shut behind him. Daryl turned the lock and flipped the dead bolt while listening for the sound of Ryan's car before going to the bathroom where Carol was suppose to be waiting.

He found her sitting on edge of the tub with her head down and a wad of toilet paper balled in her fist. Daryl dropped to his knees in front of her and placed a finger under her chin to make her look at him. "Ya alright?" He asked, swiping his thumb across her cheek to clear a path of tears while inspecting the cut on her lip.

Sniffling, Carol gave him a nod, but he knew she was far from alright. Carol would always see Ryan as their little boy and Daryl knew she wasn't emotionally prepared to have her son thrown out of the house, even after all the shit he'd been putting them through.

"Why don't I run ya a bath and while ya relax I'll make us somethin' ta eat?" Daryl asked, resting his hands on her thighs.

"Sounds nice." Carol said, a forced smile spreading across her face.

"Carol, please don't beat yerself up over this." Daryl begged, moving a hand to the side of her neck where he stroked the skin there lightly. "Ryan had this comin' for some time now and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let him lay his hands on ya. Ya know how I feel 'bout that shit."

Carol sighed and dabbed at her eyes. "What if something happens to him Daryl? He's never been on his own."

"Ain't nothin' gonna happen. The little prick will probably go ta a friends house for a few days and as soon as he's outta money he'll come crawlin' back." Daryl said to try and comfort her. He honestly didn't know what his son would do or the trouble he might get caught up in, but he really didn't care at the moment since he was still pissed at him.

"And you're going to let him?" Carol ask, giving him a pitiful look. The woman seriously had a heart of gold and it irritated the shit out of him sometimes. He didn't understand how Carol could look at Ryan's constant attitude, his back talking and now his physical abuse like it was a normal thing in every other household.

Daryl loved his son, there was no denying that, but there was only so much one person could take before enough was enough. "Guess that depends." He said.

Carol tossed the used up piece of toilet paper into the trash can, then looked back to her husband. "On what?" She asked.

"How much ass he kisses." Daryl answered, leaning forward to press his lips against her forehead. He reached behind her to turn the knob on the faucet and began filling the tub as he kissed down her neck. "Now get undressed and try ta relax."

"Can I ask you something first?" She said quietly.

Daryl got to his feet and grabbed a towel from the closet to hang on the rack by the tub. "What is it?"

"Did you know Ryan was doing drugs?" Carol held out her hand, a plastic baggy with a few pills and a small bud of marijuana inside rested in her palm.

Daryl took it from her and looked at it closely. "fuckin' Merle." He cursed under his breath. "Knew 'bout the pot, but not the pills."

"And you didn't think to tell me?" She asked in a harsh tone as she turned around to shut off the water before the tub overflowed. She wasn't really mad at him, just hurt he'd kept something like that from her.

Daryl sighed and tossed the bag in the toilet to flush the contents. "M'sorry." He said, bringing his thumb up between his teeth to chew at the skin around his nail. They rarely ever fought or argued and any time it did happen he always found himself in a position where he wanted to cower away in the corner until she got everything off her chest. He didn't have the heart to ever fight back.

A small hand wrapped around his wrist and pulled his thumb away from his mouth. Carol knew him well enough to know he was nervous about her reaction and that's not what she wanted. "It's alright, just wish you'd told me."

"Didn't want ta cause ya anymore stress. Ya already dealin' with enough bullshit."

Carol was about to give him a kiss, but when she stepped forward she hissed in pain and stumble slightly. Daryl was quick to grab her shoulders and gave her a concerned look. "Ya alright?" He asked, looking down thinking she may of caught her toe on something.

Holding onto his arms, she shifted herself to sit again and lifted her foot to check the bottom of it. Daryl took over before she could get a good look and tensed a little when he touched a tender spot right below her big toe.

"Just a piece of glass." He told her, turning to open a drawer to get the tweezers.

At that she tried to pull her foot away. "Let me do it."

Daryl kept a hold of her and furrowed his brows. "I'm not gonna hurt ya." He figured since he already knew where it was it would just be easier for her to let him take care of it.

"Daryl..." She whined and tried to take the tweezers from him, causing him to chuckle.

"Don't be a baby." He teased and propped her foot up on his knee. It literally took him less than twenty seconds to pull the small piece of glass from her skin, give her toes a loving kiss and hold out the tweezers for her to see the simple thing she was making a big deal over.

Carol let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and smiled at how silly she was acting when she took in the sight of the almost invisible shard. "Thank you." She said slightly embarrassed.

He grinned and moved to toss the glass somewhere it couldn't cause anymore harm and just as he was about to tell her to get undressed again she grabbed the collar of his shirt to gave him a soft, sweet kiss that made him moan against her lips. Thankfully his stomach growling interrupted the moment and kept him from getting carried away or her time alone to relax would have been completely ruined.

"Take ya bath 'fore ya water gets cold." He insisted, forcing himself to stand. As he was leaving he lit her favorite candle then proceeded toward the kitchen to start making dinner.


	4. Voices

**Title:** Voices

**Pairing:** Daryl/Beth

**Plot:** Set four years after the attack on the prison. Daryl and Beth escaped with Judith and have been on their own ever since.

* * *

With two squirrels hung at his belt, Daryl was taking aim for a third when a certain cry reached his ears and broke his concentration. "Dammit..." He cursed under his breath as the small creature took off running behind a fallen tree and out of sight. Normally he would have waited for the squirrel to move again since they were extremely low on food, but with Judith close by and clearly upset he slung his bow over his shoulder and took off running in the direction of her cries.

The longer he ran through the thick forest in search of the little girl that was in some sort of trouble, the more he felt himself start to panic. For one, he was more than half a mile away from their camp. There shouldn't have been any reason for her or Beth to be out there wandering around without him. And second, Judith hardly ever cried. She may have only been four years old, but she was smart enough to not draw attention to herself and the fact she was being loud and crying worried him.

When he finally found her and realized she was alone, it felt like someone punched him in the gut and he staggered a bit as he approached her. It was a mixed reaction at how frightened she looked curled in a ball with her back against a tree and Beth nowhere in sight.

He instantly scooped Judith into his arms and pulled her against his chest as he frantically scanned the area for any Walkers that may of heard her cries. "It's alright sweetheart." He said softly, trying to soothe the terrified little girl that was clinging to his vest. Even when Judith was a baby she could turn Daryl into a complete softy and it only got worse over the years. Eventually he came to accept it was love and having her in his arms at that moment scared the shit out of him as he thought about all the horrible things that could have happened to her in the short time she'd been out there alone.

"Why ain't ya with Beth?" He asked when she finally stopped shaking.

Judith lifted her head from his shoulder, tears still running down her cheeks. "Beth said...she told me...she..." Daryl wiped at her face and waited as she struggled to get her four year old brain to process what she was trying to say. Something he knew to be patient with whenever she was excited or upset.

"Slow down. Take a deep breath and try again." Daryl forced his voice to remain calm to keep her from picking up on his worry and started walking toward the river with her still in his arms. It was the easiest way to travel back to where he'd last seen Beth.

After a deep breath and a sniffle, Judith sighed. "Beth told me ta run."

Daryl tensed, shifting her to rest on his hip. "What for?" He asked, his pace quickening.

She frowned and brought her tiny hands up to rub her eyes. "Because of the man."

"A Walker?" Beth was more than capable of fighting against the dead and protecting Judith all by herself. Which was the main reason he hadn't feared leaving the two of them behind while he went to hunt and for her to tell Judith to run, putting her in a position to fend for herself, meant Beth had no other way of keeping the little girl safe and he suddenly found himself scared at what they might stumbled upon once they returned to camp.

Judith shook her head, tangling her fingers around the strap that held Daryl's crossbow. "A man like you...'cept he was mean." She held out her arm to show him her scraped elbow.

Daryl carefully inspected the cut to make sure it wasn't any worse than it appeared. "He did that to ya?" The thought of anyone hurting her infuriated him and he was thankful the tiny scrape was all she had suffered.

Judith gave him a nod and Daryl silently kissed the side of her head as they approached the river. When he went to put her down she quickly tightened her arms around his neck. "No Daryl!" She whined. "Don't leave me!"

Taking a step forward, Daryl dropped to a knee so her feet were touching the leaves on the ground and spoke softly. "Ain't gonna leave ya, but I need my hands real quick." He carefully grabbed her wrists to pull her from his neck and stood before she could protest. "Hold on ta my pants and don't let go 'til I say." When she did as instructed he slung his bow from around his back to take out a Walker that had been lingering by the water until Judith had raised her voice. Now it was coming toward them and without a second glance Daryl skillfully sent it crashing to the ground with a bolt through the side of its head.

Judith jumped slightly at the Walker's growl before it fell and clung tighter to Daryl's leg. This was the only life the little girl knew and she had grown used to hanging back as the others fought to keep her safe, but after being separated from Beth and alone in the forest. she was still shaken by the ordeal, the slightest thing scaring her and it didn't surprise him when she started crying again.

All Daryl could do for the trembling four year old was scoop her back into his arms and try to reassure her that she was safe, that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. "Don't cry." He whispered, her watery blue eyes bringing back that familiar ache in his chest.

Judith hiccuped and sniffled, her hands coming up to play with his long hair as she tried to calm herself down. Daryl didn't mind, it was something she'd done since she was around two years old and he never had the heart to tell her to stop. If he was completely honest it was kind of comforting and he needed the distraction to keep himself from worrying about Beth the closer they got to their camp.

When it came into his line of view he shifted Judith to stand and took her hand as he looked around. He could clearly see where the leaves and dirt beside the tent had been disturbed, an obvious struggle between Beth and someone else. There were tiny spots of blood leading further out away from them and he clenched his jaw as he imagined what she went through. "Beth!" He called softly, hoping if she was close by she'd hear him. There was no response.

Judith pulled on his hand as she bent down to pick something up from the ground and the motion caught his attention. It was Beth's necklace. Hershel had given it to her on her tenth birthday and from what he knew she hadn't taken it off since that day. He carefully took it from Judith and rubbed the golden cross that hung from it between his fingers as he thought about what to do. It wasn't like he could leave Judith there alone to search the area, plus there was a small chance whoever attacked Beth could still be close by and he wouldn't risk putting the little girl in that kind of danger.

"Where is she?" Judith asked. Her small voice full of concern.

He squeezed her hand, shoving Beth's necklace into his pocket before sitting down on a log that was by the fire pit. "I dunno." He felt defeated. Beth was strong, she knew how to protect herself, but he was still scared that the worst possible thing had happened to her. That she was either dead or someone had her captive and he wouldn't be able to find her. Tracking with a four year old was difficult, but at this point it looked like their only option. He just needed a minute to get his thoughts together.

Judith moved to stand between his legs, her little arms wrapping around him when she saw how sad he looked. He gently pulled her against his chest and placed a hand on the back of her head.

"Should we look for her?" She asked, her voice muffled by his vest.

He leaned back slightly to see her face and took in a deep breath. "What can ya tell me about the man?"

Judith crinkled her forehead as she tried to remember. "He came from over there." She pointed over his shoulder and he glanced in that direction. "Beth was reading me a book...he grabbed her." She moved from him suddenly and he tried to keep her within reach, but she stopped just as he was about to pull her back and picked up what he assumed was the book Beth had been reading. It was covered in dirt and Judith shook it to clean off the pages. "See?" She handed it to him.

He took the book and set it beside him on the log, then reached out to make her face him again. He needed her to pay attention. "Then what happened?"

Judith frowned and moved her hand to touch his that was on her upper arm. "He pushed her down...I tried to help...I...he hurt my arm."

"Did he hurt Beth?" Daryl asked, brushing a stray hair out of her face. He already knew having this conversation with someone so young would be difficult, but he had to get as much information from her as possible. She was the last one to see Beth alive and the only one who could identify the man if they managed to cross his path.

Judith dropped her eyes and pulled at the collar of her shirt, eventually giving him a nod. "She was bleeding." She mumbled, making Daryl cursed under his breath. "He tried to take her clothes off..."

That pushed Daryl over the edge and he swallowed hard to keep his emotions in check as he dug his nails into the log he was sitting on. It was one thing having to deal with people just being cruel and wanting to hurt others, but dealing with sick perverts looking for women to rape made him see red.

Before he had a chance to get a grip on his growing anger a branch snapping a few feet away sent him to his feet in an instant, almost knocking Judith over in the process. He carefully grabbed her shoulder and pushed her behind him while he positioned his crossbow to take aim in the direction the sound came from.

"Daryl?" A weak voice spoke and he almost dropped to his knees when Beth stepped out from behind a tree.

"Jesus." He breathed and quickly moved to where she was standing. Her shirt was in shreds, the button on her jeans clearly broken and she was holding her side where blood was slowly seeping through her fingers.

"I'm alright." She told him softly when he moved her hand away and lifted her shirt to see the cut there. It didn't seem very deep, but it went from her hip all the way up to her ribs. It looked as if whoever attacked her was trying to cut her pants and she struggled, her side getting cut instead.

Daryl turned to Judith who was glued to his leg. "Can ya grab the first aid kit out of the tent for me sweetheart?" He asked, touching under her chin to make her look at him. She gave him a hesitant nod and loosened the death grip on his jeans.

"Is she OK?" Beth wondered, watching as the little girl walked away.

Daryl reached up to swipe his thumb under her lower lip that was bleeding and carefully checked her swollen eye. "Shes fine, just scared...I was so fuckin' worried 'bout ya." He admitted. "Didn't think I'd ever see ya again."

Beth frowned and dropped her face against his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around him even though it caused her pain. "Can't get rid of me that easy." She half laughed and sobbed into his shirt. "I can't believe I told her to run...it's a miracle you found her...that shes still aliv-"

"Stop." Daryl interrupted, hating that she was causing herself more stress. "Ya did what ya had ta do. Who knows what would have happened ta her otherwise."

Beth refused to move from his embrace when Judith returned to them and he honestly didn't want to let her go. "I killed him." She said suddenly and Daryl instinctively pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head.

"Did he...I mean..." Daryl stuttered, not exactly sure how to ask her if she was raped. He was almost positive she wouldn't want to talk about it if she had been, but he needed to know, he had to be sure he wouldn't do anything that might frighten her or make the situation worse. Thankfully she knew what he was asking when he ran his fingers over her ruined shirt and didn't require him to speak of it again.

She shook her head and caught him off guard when she cupped his cheeks and yanked him into a kiss despite her busted lip. He couldn't help curling his fingers through her hair and shoving his tongue into her mouth to kiss her deeper, creating a soft moan between them as he lost himself to her. A tugging at Beth's side shortened their intimate moment and she let his lips fall from hers with a gentle suck as she turned her attention to Judith.

"Got it." The little girl said, holding out the medical supplies. "We'll make you feel better."

Beth took the first aid kit and handed it to Daryl so she could kneel and give Judith a hug. "I'm so glad you're alright."

"Daryl found me." She told her.

Beth tightened her hold and kissed her forehead. "He'll always find you." She whispered.

Daryl waited patiently for his two girls to have their small reunion, but soon his worry got the best of him and he placed a hand on Beth's shoulder. "Lets get ya cleaned up."

She let Judith go and went to sit down on a small blanket by the tent, tearing her tattered shirt away from her body in the process. She tossed it into the fire pit to be burned later and waited for Daryl as he got Judith settled close by with some toys to keep her busy. Once she was content with a book he dropped to his knees beside Beth on the blanket and carefully made her lay back to get a better view of her side. She hissed in pain when stretching out pulled at the wound and he gently slid his fingers down her ribs, avoiding the tender flesh as he felt around to make sure nothing was broken.

"Can ya tell me what happened?" He asked as he grabbed a bottle of water and soaked a rag to start cleaning away the dirt and dry blood.

Beth winced at the contact and shut her eyes, resting her arm over her forehead. "He came out of nowhere, acted like he needed help. I didn't think anything of it since he was alone...not until he saw Judith and got this look..." She paused to bite her lip when Daryl's hand brushed directly over the cut to dab at it. "He tried to grab her...and to imagine what he would have done after what he tried to do to me...Daryl he could of really hurt her...in so many different ways." She blinked and tried to force back the tears she could feel trying to fall at the thought of someone doing those sick things to the innocent little girl.

"But he didn't. Ya told her ta run and kept him from goin' after her." Daryl reminded her as he placed the bandage against her skin and grabbed some tape to secure it there.

"I didn't even think about Walkers or someone else finding her...I was so worried about making sure he couldn't touch her...and when he figured out he couldn't have what he wanted he went after me." Soft lips pressing above her belly button made her sigh and she forced herself to calm down. She was safe, Judith was safe and Daryl was still there like he always promised to be. She carefully tangled her fingers through his hair when he kissed her stomach again, lower this time.

"Daryl, she can see you." Beth whispered, keeping her voice low so only he could hear.

"She's busy singin' ta herself..." He said, nipping at her exposed hip bone. He was fully aware of what Judith was doing, constantly flicking his eyes in her direction to make sure her attention was on anything other than them. It wasn't like he was going to strip her of her remaining clothes and make love to her right there out in the open, not after what she just went through, but he wanted to help her relax and take a moment to appreciate the fact she was still there when she'd been so close to being ripped out of his life completely.

When he settled beside her and made his way back up her body, his fingertips gliding along her uninjured side, he finally saw the bite mark above her left breast when her bra shifted and instantly got angry all over again. "That bastard fuckin' bit ya?" He asked with a growl.

Beth reached out to touch his cheek to keep him from over reacting. "I killed him, remember?"

Daryl sighed and kissed her forehead. She was right. The man was dead and he wasn't going to get another chance to hurt her, but Daryl couldn't help being sensitive to the whole situation when she was involved. "I kn-" He stopped talking mid sentence when he saw Judith stand and quickly pulled himself away from Beth and into a sitting position.

Judith had been around them long enough at this point to know they would kiss or hold each other, but he figured since Beth was laying there in only her bra and torn jeans the four year old didn't need to see him with his hands and mouth roaming her body. Thankfully when Judith plopped herself in Daryl's lap to join them she was only concerned about how Beth was feeling and not the fact she was laying there without a shirt on.

"Is she all better now?" Judith asked, looking at Daryl for conformation.

"I'm fine baby." Beth answered for him and reached out to take her hand, squeezing it gently.

Judith grinned and moved away from Daryl with more excitement than he expected, barreling her tiny body toward Beth's injured side. With quick reflexes he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back to him before she was able to cause any damage. "Ya gotta be careful lil' bit."

"Sorry." The little girl apologized with a frown.

Beth shifted to sit up then and chewed on the inside of her cheek to hold back a moan when moving caused a burning sensation to shoot up her side. "It's alright sweetie, I'm just gonna be a little sore for a few days." She said through clenched teeth, trying to hide exactly how much pain she was in.

Daryl didn't miss the look on her face and could clearly tell she was hurting more than she was letting on. "There's some pills left if ya think it'll help." He offered, letting Judith go to sit with her when she kept fidgeting in his lap.

She shook her head stubbornly. "We should save them."

"I don't want ya hurtin' if ya don't need ta be. I can find more." He insisted as he stood to get her a clean shirt.

"It's been almost a year since the last time we came across a store that actually had anything left. I'll be alright." She brought her attention back to him when he stepped out of the tent holding a purple tank top for her. "I promise."

Daryl dropped to his knees and extended his arm to cup her cheek, searching her eyes for any sign of doubt. He hated the thought of her having to suffer if she didn't have to. "Ya better be." He said after giving her a quick peck on the lips


End file.
